Southern Californians feeling the gas crunch

Southern Californians' love affair with their cars is undergoing a major transformation as gas approaches the watershed $4 a gallon and crude oil sets new records in the commodities market.

Some motorists have traded in their gas-guzzlers for more fuel-efficient models while others are sticking closer to home. And a handful of others have abandoned their cars altogether, relying instead on public transit or pedal power to get around.

We talked this week with motorists about how they're coping with gas prices that are taking a bigger and bigger bite out of their household budgets. Here's what some of them had to say

"My wallet is always empty. I have no money to go to nice places. I am just surviving. I can't save any money."

- Hector Rivera, 56, Reseda, driver for paint supply company

"It's taking extra spending money away from me, so I have less for other things, such as food and CDs."

- Kim Nelson, 52, Panorama City, video editor

"I ride my bike to the grocery store, to the movie theater down the street. Staying local is the key. And I take the bus when I go to Manhattan Beach to hang out. I try to only use my car for work."

- Jennifer Penrod, 28, Lawndale, hairdresser

"I'm walking more instead of driving, because gas prices are so expensive. All the time, I check out where to buy the cheapest gas."

- Millie Jimenez, 29, Burbank, babysitter

"It effects how I shop at the store, and it means less food on my table. I also don't go to as many places with my kids as we used to."

-- Elizabeth Avalos, 53, Sun Valley, homemaker

"I used to have a V-8 engine - I love my horsepower. But every time I hit the gas pedal I saw the needle go closer to empty, so I bought a car with only four cylinders."

- Anatolio Espinoza, 28, San Pedro, aircraft engineer

"If gas hits $4, I'm parking my SUV and walking. It costs me about $100 to fill up my (Chevrolet Suburban) so I only drive it on the weekends and use my car during the week."

Francis Torres, 34, Comptonno occupation available

"I'm spending too much on gas. It's taking away from other things. We don't go out to dinner as much as we used to. We stay at home more than usual."

- Gil Boivin, 75, North Hollywood, retired

"I've given up opportunities to work closer to home because the pay is better in Los Angeles County. It's a Catch-22 because I spend $250 a week on gas to drive to work from San Bernardino to Hawthorne."

Mike Zaremba, 20 San Bernardino, emergency medical technician

"I'm almost gonna stop driving now."

- James Simpson Jr., 48, Compton

Felisha Montgomery, 42, of Hawaiian Gardens

"I already carpool with my son and daughter," Montgomery said. "I think $4 would probably be my breaking point. But it might be a good thing. It will force me to walk and ride bikes, and maybe I could lose some weight."

"The American people are not as stupid as big business thinks they are. We're going to stop driving eventually. I've already lost 15 pounds from walking."

- Diane Barrett, 58, Signal Hill

"There are a lot more miles on my bike than there are on my car. It's a choice. If people choose to keep driving than they have to pay the price."

- Rudy Corrales, 21, Long Beach

"I don't know how much longer I can afford this business. The American Dream is finished."

- Hector Zevada, 56, Arizona, independent truck driver.

"It's very bad for business. Gas went up another 5 cents today. People will still only pay the same $20 or $30 they can afford, but we make money on volume. Over the past year our volume has dropped 40 percent. The gas business is not a business that makes money right now."

Ibrahim Ibrahim, 49, Hawthorne, accountant and gas station manager

"You still need fuel. Oil is the engine of the economy, so you don't have much choice. Biodiesels aren't really plentiful yet, so we're sort of stuck with the high prices."

Greg Edochick, 54, Manhattan Beach, entertainment transportation

Eric McIntosh, a 26-year-old San Francisco resident looking for an apartment in Long Beach, said if gas hits $4.90, he'll try to persuade his parents to give him their Honda, which gets better gas milage than his Mustang.

"In the Bay Area everybody walks, rides bikes or takes public transportation, but people don't do that as much down here," he said.

"For a cab driver, it is very bad. It's killing me. I spend up to $60 a day (on gas). This car eats gas, business is slow and life is expensive."

Sean, cab driver for South Bay Yellow Cab (wouldn't give his last name - scratch it if you want, just thought it was a good quote)